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Ask open-ended questions. These are questions that begin with what, when, where, who, how and why. Because they can not be answered by a mere yes or no, they give you a lot more information, and, more importantly, often more accurate information.
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Write down large numbers. Asia uses different units for counting large numbers, and even in the Western world, one billion can mean 1,000,000,000 in some countries and 1,000,000,000,000 in others.
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Don't assume others are comfortable using first names. Automatically switching to a person's first name can be a sign of disrespect. In some countries, the first name is only used among family member or between people who have been childhood friends. And people from group-oriented cultures draw identities from their family name.
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Allow silences when speaking with people from cultures like Japan where reflection before speaking is highly valued. This one of the most valuable ways to encourage communication to go both ways by giving them "space" to contribute. Allowing some silence before answering a question also makes your reply seem more important and thoughtful.
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Conversely, be ready to jump in when talking with people from cultures like Brazil, where two (or more) people often speak at the same time!
5 Critical Tips for Communicating with Foreigners
